Nav Bar

Wednesday, June 30, 2010

Reduce, reuse, re-trend

Photo source: unknown

Remember when going green was totally cool? Everyone was all Al Gore-y by watching an Inconvenient Truth, trying to save polar bears and wearing organic T-shirts that were probably edible. Then something happened making everyone forget that paper is recyclable. I think it was the iPhone; there's no app for decomposing.

Recycling is back, kind of like the McRib. In 2007, everyone was crazed over the $34 bags labeled: "I'm not a plastic bag” which were made famous by earth-y celebrities, an effervescent need to stand out from the community of polluters and possibly a desire for world peace, something like that.

Recycle enthusiasts--trend setters--were all about using these at the grocery stores because it was the new thing. Now that the hype is gone on the late product, society's back to paper or plastic (at least there are bans on plastic now in certain cities).

Madonna and Julia Roberts were pro solar panels on their multi-million dollar homes as well as carrying their silver canteens. What non-recycling, law abiding, US Weekly reading citizen didn’t want to mirror these super awesome fads that would benefit our planet?

Stores like Kitson started getting in on the movement because I’m sure one of the Kardashians or Nicole Richie were wearing pants made from a newly discovered plant that won't break down after washing but is also good for the environment.

What's better than fashion you can wear, plant in your garden, smoke and buy at an overly priced retail cost?

When I read that Nike made outfits for the FIFA World Cup that are recycled from old bottles (Brazil and the U.S. team are made solely from bottles), I immediately had a Paris Hilton, green-bin flash back (but good for Nike and soccer).

A jersey made of bottles: Why? Why not? I don't know how recycling works exactly or how a shirt can be made from a Coke bottle, but I’m assuming if clothing is made of this, pretty soon pants will made of dirt and shoes will be made of smiles and rainbows. It won't make sense, but it will be eco-friendly, so who cares? Just heighten the price to $75, put Alexander Wang's name on it, sell it at Fred Segal and you have yourself a profitable item only affordable to upper class people who don’t know a thing about polar ice caps other than the charity event they’re at is serving a great salmon dish.

I was aghast when I read that the Nike jerseys are retailing at $70. If recycling needs to be pushed, why is it being pushed at such high retail prices? What about the common folk? I'm sure it's because Nike's name is on the jersey as well as the fact that it's easier to recycle a material into the same material. A jersey isn't exactly a bottle; however, Walmart is selling plastic bottle shirts for somewhere around $7. Get on that Walmart couture. Be green, or plastic in this case.

Granted, recycling in parts of the United States--and world--is minimal. Living in places like San Francisco is simple; there are three bins everywhere: compost, plastic and paper and some even have pictures. I know, eco-gasm.

Going green means a lot these days: it means wearing green, smoking green, carrying cool canteens, wearing clothing made of bottles, you name it. Let's just hope these trendy trends are getting the message across and people aren't still throwing paper product's in trashcans with half eaten burritos and light bulbs.